Dead Space (2) is one of the few games that have the atmostphere to make one believe that they are on either a ship or space station.
Games with exceptional locations
- Thread starter ryanxm
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Rapture from Bioshock is just fantastic. I also love the post apocalyptic capital area wasteland from Fallout 3. And the really creepy bayou DLC for it (I forget the name of that x-pac).
The original Wing Commander games did an incredible job of making you feel like you were actually immersed in a space going carrier. (well fantastic for the time, crude by today's standards).
The original Wing Commander games did an incredible job of making you feel like you were actually immersed in a space going carrier. (well fantastic for the time, crude by today's standards).
The spaceship encounter in the first Crysis, the blizzard fight vs. Crying Wolf in MGS4, the tanker in Uncharted 3 (even though I didn't like the majority of that game), the giant worm's insides in Gears of War 2 (again, didn't like most of the game), and I also enjoyed the main area of Fallout NV expansion pack Old World Blues. The airbase in Street Fighter II. Oh and the cliffside/Gaia battle at the beginning of God of War 3 was pretty awesome. The finale of Dead Space II where Isaac encounters the giant glowing monolith w/all the zombies walking into it and evaporating was pretty awe-inspiring. The giant movie set near the end of L.A. Noire. Also the entirety of the Arkham City main area, so huge and detailed with no loading times from section to section.
The Chernobyl Zone, from the Stalker series.
From the plantlife, to the mutants, to the oppressive atmosphere, the zone is a constant presense. It doesn't feel like you're fighting the individual enemy before you, as much as you're fighting the Zone, itself.
Also, the Chernobyl Zone doesn't look all that strange. It looks like burned out buildings, rusted cars, overgrown wildlife; but unlike games such as Bioshock, or Fallout, the buildings and vehicles look familiar. In my opinion, this makes it ten times more terrifying than Bioshock, and twice as immersive as Fallout.
From the plantlife, to the mutants, to the oppressive atmosphere, the zone is a constant presense. It doesn't feel like you're fighting the individual enemy before you, as much as you're fighting the Zone, itself.
Also, the Chernobyl Zone doesn't look all that strange. It looks like burned out buildings, rusted cars, overgrown wildlife; but unlike games such as Bioshock, or Fallout, the buildings and vehicles look familiar. In my opinion, this makes it ten times more terrifying than Bioshock, and twice as immersive as Fallout.
The Milkman Conspiracy in Psychonauts. Here is some concept art:
Seeing the game pan over the scene as you leave Boyd's house and Raz is like "Nice...normal...neighbourhood..." is just awesome.
Seeing the game pan over the scene as you leave Boyd's house and Raz is like "Nice...normal...neighbourhood..." is just awesome.
Morrowind. Every Dunmer city is just amazing, from the Mushroom towers of the Telvanni to the city of Vivec, it's just fantastic.
Thief 2 has an awesome setting, unfortunately you do not get to see much of the city.
I hope Thief 4 gives us the whole of the city to explore, kind of like how Assassins Creed does it; but with the Thief sneaking style still, of course.
Thief 2 has an awesome setting, unfortunately you do not get to see much of the city.
I hope Thief 4 gives us the whole of the city to explore, kind of like how Assassins Creed does it; but with the Thief sneaking style still, of course.
Dead Island's... island is really a sight to behold. If only the zombies weren't there, maybe I could sight-see a little less cautiously.
I have to say Gothic 3, like it is my duty or something. The game itself, wasn't all that great, in fact it was quite mediocre (though all the patches and shit have made it at least somewhat enjoyable). However, the locations and environments are simply amazing. The realistic, detailed forests of the Midlands were particularly well done and I have never seen a video game capture that middle-eastern desert feel quite like Varant did. Nordmar had a really cool Nordic/Celtic vibe going on and it was pretty atmospheric and really did look like a frozen winterland.
Both Witcher games also had amazing locations. The fourth chapter in the first game really springs to mind. The beautiful forested lakeside is one of my all-time favourite game locations and the golden, sunny fields was well done. In the second game, the La Valette castle was just brilliant. I've never seen a game capture that castle-siege/medieval warfare scenario so well as that. The gulleys outside Vergen was also really good.
Risen too. That had a pretty cool tropical island vibe going on, which was nice.
Both Witcher games also had amazing locations. The fourth chapter in the first game really springs to mind. The beautiful forested lakeside is one of my all-time favourite game locations and the golden, sunny fields was well done. In the second game, the La Valette castle was just brilliant. I've never seen a game capture that castle-siege/medieval warfare scenario so well as that. The gulleys outside Vergen was also really good.
Risen too. That had a pretty cool tropical island vibe going on, which was nice.
I always have to shout out to anyone who brings Myst up. Ahnonay was always my favorite age, and Uru was quite possibly my favorite game in the series. So underrated.lacktheknack said:
Though I agree with pretty much everything people have already said, Liberty City, The Zone, Rapture, Morrowind, all the classics, I have to say the island from Dear Esther.
It's probably one of the most cohesive and believable locations I've ever played. It's rare to find a gameworld that can feel that surreal without ever ceasing to feel like an actual place that you happen to have dropped into. It's also a crowning achievement for the admittedly aging Source engine, and a stunning technical and artistic production in general, especially for an indie.
Hmmm... How about the ENTIRE WORLD of Conker's Bad Fur Day?! haha. Rapture's good too. And Hyrule field is always very, shall I say, iconic, whichever LoZ game you're talking about. Assassin's Creed (the first is the only one I've played) has a very well-developed world too. And the Prince of Persia trilogy does very well in this regard also. Aaaand, Need for Speed: Underground 2! Excellent city-scape and at the age I was playing it at, the streets all became like old friends. Also, TWO WORLDS. Don't worry, I'm fucking kidding
Haha this turned out to be a lot more games than I thought I'd add to your little forum thread. Oh well, when I am drunk, my posting is always over 9000
EDIT: AAAAND AND AND, Chrono Cross. MMMMMmmmmMMM beautiful and convincing. The music helped a lot too. Also, the Elder Scrolls series. Somehow forgot my old favorites <_<
Haha this turned out to be a lot more games than I thought I'd add to your little forum thread. Oh well, when I am drunk, my posting is always over 9000
EDIT: AAAAND AND AND, Chrono Cross. MMMMMmmmmMMM beautiful and convincing. The music helped a lot too. Also, the Elder Scrolls series. Somehow forgot my old favorites <_<
I agree. It was quite impressive. Starts out on a ship with tight halls and ducts, then bam onto this huuuuuge panorama of color and nature and technology stretching before you. Everything about that second level of Halo implies grand architecture and achievement.Hero in a half shell said:
I do feel that yeah it kind of became a corridor dash for a bit but there was always that bit of hinted grandiosity. you spend the first half of truth and reconciliation making your way along a cliff at night before going into a truly alien ship. all the purple roundedness of the ship in stark contrast to the olive hardness of the human ship from before. Or the blue-grey hexagonal symmetry feel to the forerunner tech.
The Island where the cartographer is is this tiny little spot of paradise, until you get inside and there's a massive hole. Just a hole that goes into blackness. with hundreds of levels visible along the sides. As you go down level by level through the ring you emerge, having left an idyllic island to the snowy mountain areas leading to the control room.
Then a swampy claustrophobic horror level that is totally empty. The first Time I played through that, it was scarier than most true horror games. And there were no cheap "NGA! BOO!" moments. Total atmosphere. Then when you get to the room at the end you realize the horror has been set loose. Now you fight your way through a seemingly endless swarm of jumping scratching shooting things. And as the fight puts your back to the wall you're teleported away by and odd little drone.
This takes you to the library. A stark, sterile, uniform, chamber; a MASSIVE chamber that , once again, has a definite feeling of grand design and symmetry. But also because of the towering emptiness it feels almost claustrophobic. It's empty and blank. Once you've achieved your objective it's teleport to the control room again.
Theeeeen you go backwards through all of the levels for the second half of the game :/ Granted it does a fantastic job showing you how the world has changed since the flood were unwittingly released. There's an atmosphere of rot and putrefaction added to everything and it's excellently done. But I still do not approve of backtracking >.>
As for Halo 2, 3, and Reach.... well I love em but I gotta admit there was a definite lack of the above. 2 really did a good job of it but that's all: *Good*
3 and Reach were pretty much just about spectacle. I love how epic they feel and they're solid, tight, beautiful games. But as I've said, atmosphere.
ODST on the other hand kinda brought it back after 3. As you explore New Mombassa post slip-space event, you certainly feel the devastation. For awhile the city's empty. As enemies re-occupy the streets you have to make your way around one versus many, as is the theme of the series, except this time you're not a super-soldier. You're a grunt. A well trained and definitively badass grunt. But still someone that'll never be able to punch out a brute like a Spartan. And you know it. The lilting piano and sax music that plays as you try to find your squad-mates is not only sombre, but a little depressing as well. You're alone, and you're not supposed to be. You're coming into these situations after they've occurred, and then the game shifts you into the squad-mate's place 12 hours ago to re-enact that battle. I think it was really well done, going from the overall exploratory hopeless feel to the typical run-n-gun shooter. Very well done but still not as well as the first time around. Definitely close though.
Wow that turned into a huge post >_> Thanks for reading. =]
Acre from assassins creed 1. Mainly because I love medieval European architecture. Also Illium and the citadel from me2 because they had a pretty view.